All That Glimmered
by MeowKitty1912
Summary: She was wonderful, with her games and playful ways. So loving, so beautiful. Oh, how she glimmered.
1. Chapter One

**A/N: Hi! Welcome to my newest story! It's based on a poem my friend, GlimmeringSkylar, wrote. :)**

Dawn light filled the camp slowly; the sky was turning from a dark blue to a lighter shade. Long shadows appeared on the ground, elongated by the sun, which had just risen over the forest. From the entrance of FernClan camp, a white she-cat gave a yawn and slowly blinked open her eyes.

The she-cat, otherwise known as Snowdance, giggled a bit, her green eyes shining. She had never admired the beauty of the forest more than when this morning; her first one as a warrior. Snowdance nudged her friend, Duskblaze, who sat next to her. He grunted as a response.

"I think I slept," Snowdance said it as if it didn't matter; a small, rather amusing thing. To add to that, she didn't even wait for more words to be spoken before starting to clean her pelt, which, although long, was certainly very neat.

Duskblaze didn't think it so funny, as he hissed under his breath, "Don't say that out loud! You'll get in trouble!" His dark amber eyes glanced across the camp at the warriors den where several cats were getting up and stretching, and Duskblaze's small, white tail twitched.

"No I won't," Snowdance purred, rolling her eyes. "You're just a scaredy-cat."

"About what?" Duskblaze's gray fur started to bristle.

"Getting in trouble, you -" Snowdance started to say, before getting interrupted by a golden she-cat.

"It doesn't matter, okay? Everybody just loves Snowdance, so they don't care if she gets into trouble!" The she-cat said sarcastically, standing up and stretching, stiff from the long vigil.

"Whatever, Honeystreak," Snowdance purred, sure that Honeystreak really didn't hate her. Deep down, at least - sure, not everyone could like the bubbly, hyper she-cat, but Snowdance didn't believe in hate.

By now the sun was fully risen, and the FernClan deputy, Redsong, was standing in the middle of camp, giving orders. She stood tall and regal, despite being rather young. Admittedly Snowdance admired her very much, and was friends with the ginger she-cat.

Snowdance yawned, and struggled to keep her eyes open. She shook herself hard, and noticed Honeystreak padding towards the warriors den, clearly weary, as her golden-and-white tail, normally held up high, dragged along the ground.

"I'm going to sleep," Duskblaze announced, having more manners than his sister - and actually enjoying Snowdance's company, despite her totally carefree nature.

"Okay, see you," Snowdance smiled at Duskblaze, who turned away quickly and walked away a bit faster than most cats would.

Snowdance didn't notice, however. She was too intent on greeting Redsong, who had come over.

"How's your first night as a warrior? Tired?" Redsong asked, taking a seat besides Snowdance, and neatly curling her tail over her bright tabby paws.

Snowdance faked a yawn in response, earning a small laugh out of Redsong.

"You're too funny." Redsong said, sighing with the air of someone who was troubled.

Snowdance noticed, and was naturally rather intrigued. "Are you all right, Redsong? Is something bothering you?"

"No," Redsong looked away from Snowdance, clearly not liking how the conversation was headed.

"Oh…" Snowdance glanced around the camp, wondering if she would be able to go to sleep if she headed towards the warriors' den right then. Most of the warriors were out and eating prey, as well as some of the apprentices - eager chatter sounded from it all, and Snowdance concluded that she would just lay awake and annoyed if she tried. So instead, Snowdance decided she should be useful.

"Is it too late to catch the after-dawn patrol?" Snowdance asked Redsong, who had just gotten up off the ground.

"It shouldn't be. Just follow their scent." Redsong replied, before padding over to the fresh-kill pile and studying a plump gray mouse.

Snowdance stretched for several moments, having not gotten up since the day before. Her legs felt super stiff and the first few steps were rather awkward - but after that Snowdance began to walk normally. She scented the air and noticed the smell of Goldwing, Rowanheart and Applepaw.. It was fresh, so Snowdance followed it, almost running, until she reached the cats, who were just at MistClan border.

"Hi!" Snowdance panted, finally slowing besides Goldwing, Honeystreak's mother, who smiled kindly.

"Hello, dear. Are you joining us?" Goldwing asked, aware of the uncomfortable stare Applepaw was giving Snowdance.

Snowdance nodded, and smiled at Applepaw, who squeaked and ducked behind Rowanheart. Admittedly, it worked, as both of them were ginger.

"Come on, Applepaw. Snowdance is hardly the scariest thing out here," Rowanheart said gruffly, pushing Applepaw ahead of him.

Snowdance giggled and the patrol padded west, marking the border as they went along. Snowdance made small talk with Rowanheart as well, though he seemed a little distant. It was starting to get a little boring as they headed back to camp, so Snowdance thought up a joke and stopped suddenly, letting Goldwing, Rowanheart and Applepaw go ahead.

After a few minutes, Snowdance sped up. She could hear them talking, and it didn't sound like they had noticed she had gone. Snowdance could tell where Applepaw was from his scent, so Snowdance snuck up on him, using her hunting crouch.

"Hi!" Snowdance yelled. Applepaw nearly jumped out of his fur. He had tears in his eyes and his fur was all fluffed up. Snowdance couldn't help but laugh; she loved jokes.

"Snowdance," Rowanheart started, preparing to scold the young she-cat.

"Oh, Rowanheart. Snowdance just became a warrior; give her a little slack." Goldwing purred as she comforted Applepaw, who glared at Snowdance with no more fear, but anger.

Snowdance giggled again. She loved patrols.

** A/N: About Snowdance's name - I know cats don't know what dancing is, but it really fit. Don't forget to review!**


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: This is nice and long-ish, so you guys should enjoy it!**

Snowdance nudged some prey with her paw, sifting through the fresh-kill pile for a squirrel, hopefully plump and juicy. She was willing to settle for a thrush if she couldn't find one, however. Luckily Snowdance spotted a gray squirrel, and she picked it up, savoring the scent, and headed over to Duskblaze and Honeystreak, who were talking quietly

Snowdance knew what they were talking about - her. She didn't mean it in a vain way, however. Duskblaze and Honeystreak were older than Snowdance by about a moon, and were apprenticed on time, but Duskblaze had made Honeystreak wait so they could all be made warriors together. Needless to say, Honeystreak hadn't been keen on the idea, but had agreed (Snowdance was grateful she had).

"Snowdance, dear!" Goldwing appeared beside the white she-cat, with Applepaw behind her.

"Hi, Goldwing!" Snowdance greeted the senior warrior, voice muffled by the squirrel.

"Applepaw is having his final assesment," Goldwing told Snowdance, glancing at Applepaw.

Snowdance put down her squirrel on the ground and smiled at Applepaw, who ducked his head, obviously still remembering the patrol a few days ago.

"Congratulations, Applepaw!" Snowdance purred, happy for the ginger tom. Applepaw muttered a thank-you.

Goldwing nudged Applepaw. When he didn't do anything, Goldwing whispered something in his ear and pushed him towards Snowdance, who couldn't help but giggle, though she was confused.

"Goldwing… help…" Applepaw was so quiet that Snowdance only caught a few words.

Goldwing sighed. "We were wondering if you would hunt with Applepaw." Applepaw seemed to freeze now that the words had been said.

Snowdance imagined herself standing in a clearing while Applepaw stuttered to give her directions. He was scared of her so why - ? Oh, right. It would do him good to give orders to someone he feared. Snowdance admired Goldwing's way of doing things.

"Sure," Snowdance purred. "When?"

Goldwing looked at the sky. The sun was almost in the middle, so it was almost sunhigh.

"Just after sunhigh," Goldwing told Snowdance, who was glad she would be able to finish her meal.

Snowdance nodded her head and watched Goldwing and Applepaw walk off. Goldwing said something to Applepaw that Snowdance couldn't hear, and the apprentice chose a mouse from the fresh-kill pile. Snowdance turned back to her own prey and started gulping it down.

The white warrior gave a contented sigh and licked her lips when it was gone. A little bit away, Duskblaze and Honeystreak had just finished talking, and Honeystreak was flouncing away, her pelt fluffed out, obviously extremely aggravated.

_Typical Honeyheart, _Snowdance thought, once again finding it funny. It was just sunhigh, so Snowdance padded over to Duskblaze to talk to him for a moment. He looked a little put-out at whatever Honeystreak had said. Snowdance sat beside him and started to purr. Duskblaze looked at her, and made what was either a laugh or a growl.

"You're way too happy," Duskblaze muttered, shaking his gray head.

Snowdance let out a giggle. "I know, but life is funner that way!"

Snowdance couldn't remember a time when she didn't feel elated and like life was a game. For as long as she could remember, it had been a, laugh-at-your-mistakes, it's-okay-if-you-don't-get-it, just-remember-to-smile world. And Snowdance liked it.

"Maybe for you," Duskblaze was now staring off into space, not aware of much else besides the conversation.

"I'm going hunting with Applepaw," Snowdance told Duskblaze This made Duskblaze blink and stare at his friend.

"But he hates you, or is scared of you, something like that," Duskblaze said the obvious.

Snowdance nodded. "I know. But I think it'll be good for him."

Duskblaze didn't answer, and stared at the ground. Snowdance knew that if she tried to continue the conversation he would snap at her, so Snowdance stood up and looked at the sky. It was time, so Snowdance padded over to the entrance to camp to wait. Not very many cats were in the camp right now, so it was easy to spot Applepaw and Goldwing heading towards her.

Applepaw was the only apprentice old enough for his assesment. Once upon a time he had had a brother, Kestrelkit, but Kestrelkit died when he was still very young. It didn't seem to bother Applepaw much at all, luckily.

"Are you ready?" Snowdance asked Applepaw as he paused beside her. Applepaw looked as if he wanted to say no, but the urge to become a warrior took over, and he nodded.

Together the three cats padded into the forest. Trees loomed above them and left shadows on the ground. Snowdance felt free in the forest, it was so much different than the small camp where she slept and ate. Nearby Snowdance could scent a border patrol, heading back. Soon Goldwing stopped, and Snowdance did the same, assuming they had reached their destination.

"I'm going to go now," Goldwing told Applepaw, preparing to walk away. "But I'll be watching you. You're going to hunt with Snowdance."

Snowdance looked at Applepaw, who awkwardly licked his tabby pelt. For a second there was silence, until Applepaw finally said something.

"W - why don't you - you go hide in - in the bushes a - and wait for prey?" Applepaw suggested, shrinking away from Snowdance, who giggled. Again.

"And why should I do that?" Snowdance challenged the tom, wondering what he would do.

"B - because -" Applepaw paused, shook his head, hard, and took a deep breath. "Because your pelt is so bright the prey will notice you if you're out in the open,"

Snowdance was impressed. Applepaw hadn't stuttered, though he still looked a bit scared of her.

"Very good," Snowdance told Applepaw before sliding into the bush and scenting the air, before remembering that it was Applepaw who was to give her directions.

Snowdance watched as Applepaw scented the air. He seemed to scent something, because he crouched close to the ground.

"See that squirrel?" Applepaw whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Snowdance quickly spotted it and nodded. She crawled forward in her hunting crouch, being careful not to make any noise. But she had never been good at that, and suddenly, there was a cracking sound - Snowdance had stepped on a twig.

The squirrel looked up, and froze, looking into Applepaw's eyes. Snowdance let out a snort of laughter and off it went, with Applepaw in hot pursuit. To make sure he didn't get into any trouble, Snowdance burst out from the book and started to follow him.

It was a fun chase, and Snowdance understood why he didn't want to give up, but it Snowdance thought he should slow down when he reached MistClan border, as she did. He didn't however, and went straight across the border.

"Applepaw!" Snowdance called as he disappeared into the pine trees and fog.

Snowdance waited a second. She could hear footsteps, so she began to think of a joke to make. But… was this really the time? _Of course it is, _Snowdance told herself. It was always the time for jokes and silliness and all that.

Applepaw came into sight and ran right over the border, back into MistClan border. He stopped and panted for breath. Applepaw looked at Snowdance with wide, fearful eyes.

"Was that… okay?" Applepaw asked, shivering, despite it being green-leaf.

"Of course! Didn't you know FernClan and MistClan are best friends?" Snowdance purred.

"Really?" Applepaw looked hopeful.

"No, not really," Snowdance told the tom. "We should go back and tell Hawkstar."

…

Snowdance and Applepaw entered FernClan camp, with Goldwing behind them. Goldwing had joined them soon after they had started their trek back. She had seen all that had happened, and was not very happy with either of them.

"I'll get Hawkstar," Snowdance told the trio. She padded over to Hawkstar's den; a thick branch in a some-what short tree. She looked up to see her view blocked by many leaves and twigs and called, "Hawkstar!"

Hawkstar poked his white head through the leaves. He looked a bit surprised to see Snowdance there, but carefully climbed down the tree anyway, using his brown tail to balance. He jumped the last foot and landed with a thud.

"We had a bit of an… accident," Snowdance told Hawkstar, giving him a little bow, though she wasn't sure why.

By now Goldwing and Applepaw had padded over as well. Applepaw looked ashamed of himself, even though they hadn't even explained what he did.

"What happened?" Hawkstar demanded, looking at Goldwing for an explanation.

Goldwing told him very official-like, as if she was the deputy instead of Redsong. "Applepaw here was having his assesment when he chased a squirrel over the border,"

Hawkstar studied Applepaw with his dark green eyes. Applepaw whimpered, and Hawkstar blinked.

"It shouldn't be a problem," Hawkstar informed them.

Snowdance doubted it would have been, but Applepaw and Goldwing looked relieved.

**A/N: Thoughts on Snowdance's personality?**


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: It's starting to heat up..! Thanks to Willowspring1 for reviewing!**

As Snowdance slept, worried mutterings went around the camp. Queens hid away in the nursery, a big bush along the sides of camp, with their kits. Apprentices talked, wondering what would happen. Most warriors were already up, yet none on patrols - they were too anxious. Finally a voice could be heard, louder than anything said that morning, almost a yowl.

"We need to send out a search party!"

These words made Snowdance wake with a start. Her ears had gotten so used to the silence that, even though most days cats were much louder than that, it had been shocking. Snowdance blinked open her sleeping eyes. She was alone in the den, having slept in. Yeah, she should've been up ages ago, but who cared?

Snowdance clumsily got up and stretched. She hadn't caught what had woken her up, but that didn't really matter. Snowdance padded out of the den, and into a… shocking, shall we say, scene.

Applepaw had said the words, it seemed. He was in the middle of camp, and he looked smaller than ever. All the Clan was staring at him, including Hawkstar, who seemed to be thinking hard. Nobody noticed, nor cared that Snowdance had woken up.

Snowdance padded up to Duskblaze. He looked confused at what was happening, as if he couldn't choose sides. But over what? Everyone was just staring at Applepaw, and Snowdance didn't even know what he had said.

"What's happening?" Snowdance asked Duskblaze.

Duskblaze didn't take his eyes off of Applepaw. "Rowanheart is gone,"

This was surprising. Rowanheart… Snowdance didn't know him very well, but she was sure he would never just run off. She wondered what had happened.

Snowdance couldn't care less, though. She stayed around anyway, however, curious nonetheless. It was a few moments before anyone spoke.

"He's right," Hawkstar said with a grunt. The Clan stared at him, and he looked back, with fire in his eyes. "Rowanheart is a very valuable warrior, and is very dear to many of us. Redsong, organize a patrol."

Redsong nodded and rushed to the middle of camp, pelt messed up from being too worried to clean it. Snowdance remembered that Rowanheart and Redsong were littermates.

"Duskblaze and Fawnleaf, if you will," Redsong ordered the two cats. Duskblaze looked surprised to be chosen, but got up and walked away quickly with Fawnleaf beside him.

Snowdance had no idea what to do now that the whole Clan was dispersing. She supposed she should do something useful instead of sit around, which honestly she would rather do. But that could wait until she had kits, Snowdance decided.

A loud sigh issued from the den nearest to where Snowdance was sitting, and Snowdance turned her head. She could just see inside the medicine cat den, where Smokepoppy was sorting through herbs.

"Is there a problem?" Snowdance asked innocently, tail waving.

Smokepoppy shook her gray head. "An apprentice can do it later," Smokepoppy said, though it didn't quite make sense given that she indeed _was _saying she needed something.

"What do you need?" Snowdance eagerly got to her feet and padded into the den, a hollow tree, where holes in the ground were filled with herbs and then covered with large leaves.

Smokepoppy quickly looked at all the herbs spread out in front of her. Snowdance couldn't recognize any of them except for catmint, but only because it gave off a very pleasing scent.

"Borage," Smokepoppy said simply, handing Snowdance a leaf so she could identify it in the forest. "Take Honeystreak with you."

Snowdance nodded, thankful she had something to do. With Honeystreak, too! Speaking of Honeystreak, she was looking through the fresh-kill pile as Snowdance approached her. She didn't look too bothered by Rowanheart's disappearance, judging by her clean pelt and bright eyes as she turned to see Snowdance.

"Oh, it's you," Honeystreak sighed, sitting on the ground, annoyed. "What do you want?"

"Let's go find borage leaves!" Snowdance purred, not noticing her own lack of explanation.

Honeystreak's eyes burned with annoyance, and something else. It was a softer emotion that Snowdance had only seen in a warrior's eyes when his mate and kits had died during kitting - but SNowdance didn't dwell on that; it didn't matter to her.

"No way," Honeystreak hissed. She angrily stood up, golden-and-white fur bristling.

"Smokepoppy said you need to come with me," Snowdance told Honeystreak, knowing she would obey the medicine cat.

Honeystreak accepted defeat, but did not take it lightly. Her amber eyes were still filled with irritation, and she kept making strange grunting noises as she led the pair out into the forest, walking fast.

"So, do you know where borage is?" Snowdance asked Honeystreak, who paused and glared at her.

"You didn't ask Smokepoppy where to find it?" Honeystreak snarled.

Snowdance smiled sheepishly, and would have shrugged if she had been able to. "No, I forgot."

It didn't matter much. Snowdance remembered the scent of borage from earlier, and remembered what it looked like… she thought.

"You're such a mouse-brain!" Honeystreak complained, shaking her head angrily.

This striked a chord. Snowdance hated to be called a mouse-brain - it was alright if it was directed at more than one cat, but at just Snowdance? It triggered some unhappy memories.

"Am not!" Snowdance shot back, sounding rather like a young kit.

"Are too!" Honeystreak hissed, looking at Snowdance, who was slightly hurt.

"Am not!"

"Ugh! Nevermind!" Honeystreak started to pad away, leaves crunching under her paws.

"Wait! I know what borage -" Snowdance broke off. Honeystreak wasn't walking anymore, but still there were footsteps.

They came closer and closer. Snowdance and Honeystreak stared at each other, all argument forgotten. Admittedly Snowdance was frightened, but it didn't show. The cats were too scared to remember to scent the air - if they had done that, they would have known that it was okay.

Suddenly a body crashed through the undergrowth, and Honeystreak screamed, stopping abruptly when she saw who it was.

It was Fawnleaf, supposedly back from the search party. Snowdance was relieved it was just her; what if it had been a fox? It was a second before Snowdance realized anything was wrong, but when she did it was shocking.

Fawnleaf's brown fur was torn and messy, though she hadn't been out long. Her scent smelled of blood, but not death, luckily. Most of all, she just stood there, looking at Snowdance blankly.

"What's wrong with her?" Honeystreak wondered out loud, voice trembling slightly.

Snowdance didn't answer, as she didn't know. Nothing bad could have happened, though - otherwise Fawnleaf would have blood _on _her pelt, right? Yes, that was it.

Fawnleaf shook as she stood. It was a few moments before she did anything, and Snowdance didn't move, either. It was gradually coming to her that this was funny, the staring contest between her and Fawnleaf. A giggle from Snowdance, though, and Fawnleaf jumped.

Fawnleaf looked around wildly, and didn't seem to see Honeystreak or Snowdance. She raced off towards camp, and left the two warriors very confused.

"I don't smell Duskblaze," Honeystreak noted as she tasted the air, fur still bristling.

"So?" Snowdance pawed the ground, wondering if they would be able to find borage now.

Honeystreak stared, shocked. "He could be dead!"

Snowdance didn't think so. There was no scent of death on Fawnleaf, and Duskblaze had been with her. He would probably just show up later, with tales of how difficult it was to convince Rowanheart to come back - oh, yes, Rowanheart would come back. Duskbaze would make him, Snowdance was sure of it.


	4. Chapter Four

Snowdance didn't like the silence that adorned the trip back to camp, nor the tension. It seemed strange. Yes, Honeystreak was worried about Duskblaze, but Snowdance didn't understand _why. _He was probably fine, yet they sped through the forest quickly, and Snowdance was starting to get tired and dizzy from seeing the forest all blurred.

Up ahead Snowdance could see the group of trees that made up their camp, and sighed with relief. Honeystreak started flat out running, while Snowdance finally slowed down to catch her breath.

"Crazy Honeystreak," Snowdance giggled, before catching whiff of a scent.

Snowdance smiled to herself and walked to the entrance of the camp, slow as she liked. It didn't matter; Duskblaze was back! The only part that was worrying at all was that Rowanheart's scent was missing. But Duskblaze would explain that.

Inside camp, practically the whole Clan was gathered around Fawnleaf and Duskblaze. Duskblaze looked flustered, especially when Honeystreak fussed over him as if she were Duskblaze's mother.

Snowdance padded over to join the crowd. Hawkstar was speaking to Fawnleaf and Duskblaze added something that Snowdance couldn't hear. The cats in front of Snowdance, Birdpaw and her mentor, Swiftclaw, muttered to each other about Duskblaze being unreliable. Snowdance felt a tiny prick of anger at that, but didn't say anything.

A moment later, Hawkstar turned to address the Clan. He didn't have anything to stand on like in the camps of ThunderClan in stories, though his the natural jumping ability that all FernClan cats possesed would make it very simple to climb up.

"Rowanheart was not found," Hawkstar announced, though everyone already knew.

Snowdance knew that the same question was burning in everybody's mind: "_Why not?" _But since Hawkstar was leader, nobody wanted to ask him to say more than he did.

One by one, cats went back to their dens. Only Duskblaze and Honeystreak were left in camp, and Duskblaze looked as if he wished he was still in the forest. Snowdance padded over to him, and saw that Honeystreak's eyes were burning.

"That isn't an excuse!" Honeystreak was hissing, her golden tail swishing back and forth.

"Sorry," Duskblaze ducked his head.

Snowdance nudged Duskblaze with her fluffy, white paw. "Want to take a walk?"

Before Duskblaze could answer, however, Honeystreak said, "I was talking to him!"

_This is awkward, _Snowdance thought, looking between Honeystreak and Duskblaze. Duskblaze was doing what could only be described as cowering in front of his sister, while Honeystreak seemed furious.

Finally, Duskblaze stood up. "I'm going on a walk," he told Honeystreak, trying not to meet her eyes, it seemed. Snowdance admired the way he padded away, and was right behind him.

"But -" Honeystreak tried to say before Snowdance and Duskblaze were out of the camp.

By now the sun was just starting to set, and the sky was turning darker. Snowdance could see Duskblaze's eyes shining as he turned to look at her.

"So… you didn't even find Rowanheart's scent?" Snowdance asked, hoping Duskblaze was willing to tell her.

"Well, we did," Duskblaze said with a sigh. "But we still… couldn't find him."

"Oh." Snowdance kept walking, listening to the sounds. "You're sure?"

Duskblaze stopped and stared off into the descending darkness, looking as if he was thinking hard. Snowdance waited patiently, pawing at the soft ground, eager for an answer.

"His scent trail led into MistClan border," Duskblaze said, starting to walk again, but slower than they had before.

"I knew he always had mist in his head," Snowdance joked, earning a Honeystreak-like glare from Duskblaze. Snowdance decided to shut up immediatly.

They padded on in silence, but it was unlike the one earlier. It felt warm and comforting, like the feeling of fur brushing against you, not cold and filled with tension. It was a while before Snowdance realized they were nearing a stream; the sounds had blended in with the background before now.

"Duskblaze -" Snowdance started to warn her friend, but too late.

With a splash, Duskblaze went plunging into the water. Luckily the current wasn't too strong, and Duskblaze managed to stay in one place and look up at Snowdance, who was purring at the sight of him, brown fur drenched with water.

Duskblaze imagined what it must look like, and started to laugh - but quickly turned it into a growl as he realized how freezing he was. Snowdance was now pacing along the edge of the stream, which was raised.

"Could you get me out?" Duskblaze asked, with a hint of amusement in his voice, though Snowdance could tell he was attempting to hide it.

"Sure," Snowdance reached her head down into the ditch careful not to lose her balance - it wouldn't be as funny if both of them were wet. "Try to reach your head up," Snowdance told Duskblaze.

Duskblaze stuck his claws into the dirt wall and stood on his back legs. Snowdance was able to grab his scruff and pull him up, with difficulty as he was somewhat heavy. A few moments later Duskblaze scrambled onto land, and shook himself rather like a dog would.

"You just stepped off into the stream!" Snowdance snorted, not able to contain her laughter any longer. "You're such a mouse-brain!"

Duskblaze shrugged, not able to say otherwise. Who ever heard of _stepping _into a stream? There was falling and being pushed, but rarely anything else!

Snowdance realized she could hear someone crashing into the undergrowth seconds before Ivyfrost appeared, breathless as she stared at Snowdance. She had the same smooth yet fluffy fur as Snowdance, as Snowdance was Ivyfrost's daughter - but that didn't seem to matter as she quickly said the words that made Duskblaze freeze:

"We found Rowanheart,"

**A/N: Sorry this was somewhat short and rushed! I'm trying to get at least one chapter a week, but I have a blog, and another fanfiction, and I'm lazy, and the list could go on and on.**

** Everything that's happening right now doesn't have too much to do with the whole story, so it might seem a bit crazy right now. But I assure you everything will be cleared up by the end of it.**

** I forgot to say last chapter, but thanks to Willowspring1 for reviewing - I'm not trying to blame anyone who reads this, but she was the only one who reviewed at all. So please, jot down a few words for me.**


	5. Chapter Five

Snowdance paced the ground in front of the camp entrance. Her movements were frigid and sharp, and worry filled her green eyes. Duskblaze had gone on in, along with Ivyfrost, who had told them that Rowanheart was indeed dead.

That was the problem. Snowdance had never seen a dead body before, and the prospect scared her. How did Rowanheart die? Did he fall into the stream like Duskblaze did? Was he killed? Either way, Snowdance hoped his body was not too bloody or wet.

"Are you coming?" Duskblaze stuck his head out of camp. His voice shook as he spoke, most likely from his pelt, which had not yet dried.

Snowdance gulped and nodded, not her usual bubbly self. Compassion glittered in Duskblaze's eyes and he stood next to Snowdance as she padded into camp.

Inside, several cats were crouching besides Rowanheart's body, including Redsong and Applepaw. Snowdance felt a pang of pity for the young tom - Rowanheart had been his uncle.

Applepaw had been born late one night in early leafbare. His mother had just caught whitecough, and died as soon as he and his brother, Kestrelkit, were born. A few days later Kestrelkit had perished as well, and Applepaw was left all alone.

Snowdance let out a sigh and started to pad over to Redsong when she was intercepted by Honeystreak, who, once again, was bristling with anger.

"You said he would be fine!" Honeystreak hissed quietly, making sure no one else heard.

"I didn't…" Snowdance paused and thought back to earlier that day. It felt like a long time ago that Fawnleaf had found them in the forest. "I said that Duskblaze would be okay. In fact," the scene came back to her slowly. "I didn't even say that."

Honeystreak paused. "Oh." She ducked her head and hurriedly started to pad away.

Snowdance wished she had made a joke out of that, but the thought vanished as soon as she set her gaze upon Rowanheart's body.

His fur was torn in places, and his ear was badly mangled. His eyes were closed, but bore scratch marks, as well as the rest of his body. Snowdance found it difficult to believe that it had been done by a cat, but the claw marks were too thin to be made by any different animal.

Despite being frightened by the blood and such on the body, Snowdance sat beside Redsong to comfort the ginger queen. She raised her head and blinked, her eyes showing gratidute.

Snowdance closed her eyes and parted her mouth slightly, letting familiar scents in. The trees that surrounded them, blood… and something else Snowdance couldn't quite place, though she knew she had scented it before.

"Do you smell that?" Snowdance asked Redsong, opening her eyes to look at her friend.

Redsong scented the air, and suddenly began to bristle. "MistClan!" She hissed, getting to her feet.

Applepaw looked up, eyes dull with sadness. "MistClan..?"

By now several cats were coming out of their dens, even the queens. Snowdance watched as Redsong quickly looked over the Clan and turned to Applepaw.

"Could you get Hawkstar?" Redsong asked. Applepaw looked scared at the idea of talking to the leader, but nodded and got up anyway.

Snowdance remembered what Duskblaze had said, that Rowanheart's scent had gone into MistClan territory. He hadn't shared it with the rest of the Clan, though, so Snowdance decided she shouldn't say anything - it wouldn't change anything even if she did. Rowanheart was already dead.

A wave of exhaustion suddenly flowed over Snowdance, and she stood up. As she padded to her den, each step felt heavy.

"Where are you going?" Duskblaze's fearful voice sounded behind Snowdance, and she turned to see him and Honeystreak.

"I'm tired," Snowdance said simply, yawning to show she wasn't lying.

Duskblaze and Honeystreak looked at each other, having a silent discussion, it seemed.

"Aren't you worried?" Honeystreak asked, a growl forming behind her casual words.

Snowdance shook her head, thinking of her warm nest. What could happen? What was done had been done.

"But… there might be a battle," Honeystreak pointed out, narrowing her eyes.

"Do we know he was killed _by _MistClan?" Snowdance countered, blinking sleepily.

"That isn't the point!" Honeystreak groaned, before pushing past Snowdance into the warriors' den.

Snowdance looked at Duskblaze and started to purr, but stopped when she saw the look he was giving her,

"Honeystreak's right," Duskblaze sighed. "You should be more concerned."

As he padded off, Snowdance almost let out an upset noise, but caught herself. It took a few seconds to convince herself that by tomorrow it would be normal again. Snowdance padded to her nest, which, luckily, was nowhere near Honeystreak. The last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep is the uneven breathing of Honeystreak.

** A/N: Sorry this took so long - I've been on it on-and-off the past few days.**

** I'm trying to make each chapter between 800-1200 words, and this one just barely pasted 800 words. I'll try to make the next chapter longer.**


	6. Chapter Six

**A/N: Yes, I know, it's been a while. Sorry about that. I finished this chapter a while ago, but for some reason I wasn't able to submit this as a document - I kept clicking the button, but it wouldn't work.**

"Hey, Snowdance!"

Snowdance purred as she turned to see her father, Mousespots. It had only been a few days since Rowanheart had perished, but FernClan was already back to normal. Sure, Applepaw sulked in the apprentices' den a bit more, but he was the only one still affected.

"Mousespots!" Snowdance rubbed against her father's brown tabby coat, elated that he had come to talk to her, as he was a senior warrior and very busy.

Mousespots, as said before, had brown tabby fur and the same green eyes as Snowdance. He was smaller than she, and most other FernClan cats. Mousespots was rather thin, but in a natural, normal way.

"Redsong wants you to come on patrol with Fawnleaf, Swiftclaw and I," Mousespots stated, smiling at his only daughter.

Snowdance stood up, as she had been sitting before, and wished she didn't have to leave the small, cold hole that she had hollowed out for herself right next to the warriors' den. It would do her good to do something, though, Snowdance realized, and padded after her father, who was leading them towards Fawnleaf and Swiftclaw.

As Snowdance greeted the other warriors, they departed into the forest. The air was hot and humid, and Snowdance pitied Swiftclaw, who's white pelt was rather shaggy. Despite the sun shining down on her, Snowdance enjoyed being in the forest, as the last few days she had been doing her duty inside camp.

There was silence. It didn't suit Snowdance, so she started to take bounds instead of steps. If it had been leaf-fall, leaves would have been scattered everywhere. However, it was still greenleaf, so it just annoyed the other cats on the patrol.

"Oh, Snowdance," Mousespots sighed, stopping as to fall behind with his daughter. "You were always so energetic."

"I must have driven you crazy when I was a kit," Snowdance agreed, remembering when she would get under the paws of everybody, tiny, cute, and hyper.

"You still do," Mousespots joked. Snowdance pulled a fake-sad face to further the funny meter, and earn a laugh even from Swiftclaw, who had been listening in, despite being deaf in one ear.

"Where are we patrolling?" Snowdance asked suddenly. They were heading in the direction of their border with MistClan, but if they turned soon, they would go to the hill, where they had made another scent mark as the end of their territory.

"MistClan border," Swiftclaw answered, turning his head so Swandance could see his different colored eyes.

"Okay," Snowdance didn't care where they were going, as she noticed Fawnleaf did, judging by how her fur fluffed up a bit.

Soon they had reached the border. Snowdance remembered when Applepaw had run over, and bit back a laugh, remembering that MistClan may-or-may-not have killed Rowanheart. It was clearly on everyone's mind, as it was unusually silent.

Snowdance felt uncomfortable as she watched Fawnleaf, who's eyes were large and fearful. She tensed suddenly, and Snowdance scented the air - a MistClan patrol was coming. Mousespots had not yet renewed the scent, but Snowdance could tell he wanted to get out of there.

The patrol was getting nearer by the time they were ready to leave. They started to pad towards camp. Snowdance fought the urge to look behind her, wondering if they were at the border yet.

"Hey!" A shout from the border made Mousespots, in front of Snowdance, turn.

"Guess we have no choice but to go back over there," Mousespots sighed, glancing at the members of the patrol, who looked worried.

But really, what could happen? Snowdance wondered as they headed back to the border. Obviously it wouldn't be a friendly chat, but she doubted it would end in a skirmish, either. After all, it was them who had killed Rowanheart, not the other way.

The MistClan consisted of Ravenfur, Patchpelt, and Grayfern. They stood on the edge of their border, though still in the right territory, waiting for Mousespots, Swiftclaw, Fawnleaf and Snowdance to come up to them.

Snowdance didn't know much about these warriors, except that Ravenfur was known to provoke fights, which wouldn't be good in this case.

"Your warriors have been busy, huh?" It was Patchpelt who spoke in this case, a tri-colored tabby with yellow eyes. He said it casually, as if they were friends, possibly clanmates, yet the words were confusing.

"W -why would we be busy?" Fawnleaf asked, stuttering. Snowdance was surprised. She had always thought of Fawnleaf as strong and courageous, not the type of cat to mess up her words.

Patchpelt shared a look with Ravenfur before answering. "You should know," this time his tone was challenging.

"We really don't," Swiftclaw padded up to Patchpelt. "Why don't you continue your patrol?"

"You were on our territory!" Patchpelt hissed at Swiftclaw, who took a step back.

Snowdance realized what they meant - Rowanheart. He had been in MistClan territory. Why were they playing dumb, though? They had killed Rowanheart. Snowdance looked at Mousespots, asking a silent question - should we mention Rowanheart? Mousespots shook his head and Snowdance returned her gaze to the MistClan warriors.

"We were not!" Snowdance tensed as Swiftclaw unsheathed his claws.

"Attack!" Before Snowdance knew it, several more MistClan cats were bounding out of the mist.

Snowdance felt horror as she watched Mousespots run into the battle and tussle with Grayfern. Beside her, Fawnleaf was trying with difficulty to fend off two apprentices. Snowdance couldn't even see Swiftclaw.

Snowdance didn't know what to do. She had hoped she would never see a battle, yet there she was. Tears started to form in her eyes as she was bowled over by a silver-gray apprentice, which she recognized as Pebblepaw.

Pebblepaw battered Snowdance's face with unsheathed claws before she came to her senses. Snowdance easily pushed the apprentice off of her and held the small cat down with her paw. It confused her that Pebblepaw had gone after her, being so tiny.

"Snowdance!" Snowdance heard her father's voice and turned her head. Mousespots was fighting with Ravenfur now, and swiped at the black tom. "We need more warriors - go back to camp!"

Snowdance nodded, glad she had an excuse to get out of the battle, though she knew that meant it would be three against however-many-cats. She let Pebblepaw go. He stared at her with wide eyes before running away, and Snowdance smiled before returning to the seriousness of the battle.

Snowdance had only gone a few large steps before she heard a screech and the sound of many pairs of paws practically running away. Snowdance closed her eyes, the yowl ringing in her head. Sadness filled every bone as she knew someone had died.

It only worsened as she turned around and saw her father's mangled body.


	7. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Are we already at chapter seven? Wow! This chapter was actually supposed to be longer, but I decided the ending was perfect.**

Snowdance felt numb and cold as she watched Fawnleaf help Swiftclaw lift up Mousespots to bring back to camp.

Mousespots had been her idol, the one she cared about most. He may as well been her mentor and mother, for he was better at both than any other cat Snowdance had known - even Ivyfrost, her real mother. Mousespots had taught her simple battle moves when she was a kit, and had been there when she caught her first prey, telling her what she had done wrong, but in a way that made Snowdance sure she would get it right next time.

"Snowdance, are you okay?" Swiftclaw broke into Snowdance's thoughts. Mousespots's body was balanced between him and Fawnleaf, secure. It took a second for Snowdance to register what he had said.

"Oh..." Snowdance searched for the right words. The words to say no, of course not, her father had just been killed, him instead of one of those MistClan fleabags. "I'm fine," Snowdance tried to smile, but it felt fake.

Snowdance fell into step behind her Clanmates. She could hear them whispering, but she couldn't quite tell what they were saying. Probably something about how much FernClan would miss Mousespots. He had been a great warrior, the best in Snowdance's eyes, which were now filled with tears as she remembered her mother telling her stories of how Mousespots had saved the leader before Hawkstar, throwing himself in front of a badger, knowing the elderly leader was on his last life.

Snowdance let out a whimper. This feeling was so abnormal. She had always been so optimistic - if this had been Goldwing, she would have been telling Duskblaze how better it was in StarClan, yet now Snowdance could barely form the words in her mind.

Before Snowdance knew it, they were back at camp. Her heart thumped as she imagined the stares of everybody; they hadn't even known there had been a battle. How would Ivyfrost react? Suddenly Snowdance stopped her paws.

Everyone was so used to Snowdance being so happy, maybe it would be confusing if suddenly she was depressed. Snowdance plastered a smile to her face. It hurt to keep it up, but she padded into camp anyway.

"Snowdance," Snowdance turned to see Duskblaze racing towards her, eyes on Mousespots. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Snowdance didn't answer the first question, but nodded to the second. She looked over the camp, and noticed how many shocked faces there were. Tears streamed down Ivyfrost's face, Snowdance noticed, feeling like breaking down herself.

Swiftclaw was having a word with Hawkstar near the body. It was quick, and soon the white tom was back at Mousespots, looking sadly at the brown warrior. Snowdance padded over to join him, ready to sit vigil, as the sun was already going down, bathing everything in a golden light.

It was too happy, Snowdance decided. Ahe need though she would hear those words in her mind, but it was true. Normally she would think it beautiful, but tonight it taunted her.

Snowdance closed her eyes against the fading light. A warm pelt pressed against her side, and Duskblaze's scent filled her mouth as she parted it slightly.

It was past moonhigh when Snowdance drifted off, drowsy in the warm, humid air. A second later she was flying, and a moment after that she was with a kit again.

_"Oh, Snowkit," Mousespots sighed, a hint of laughter in his rather stern mew._

_"What?" Snowkit couldn't see anything wrong with her hunting crouch. She kept her tail straight, instead of waving as it had been before. Her weight was spread out beneath all her paws - what else was there?_

_"You're kneading the ground with your paws; that's good though," Mousespots paused to see Snowkit's eyes brighten as she believed him. "If you wanted to scare off all the prey."_

_Snowkit's face fell, but a moment later she grinned again as she caught the scent of a thrush. It was nearby, and Mousespots hadn't noticed it yet. Silently, Snowkit took a few steps forward in the undergrowth. Now she could see the thrush, and she wiggled her haunches, before pouncing on it._

_Snowkit made sure to bite the neck quickly before turning back to Mousespots, whose face was blank, but his eyes were sparkling proudly as Snowkit set the thrush in front of him._

_"Good job," Mousespots purred, eyes filled with love for his kit, "but next time..."_

His voice was drowned out as Snowdance returned to the waking world. The fur around her face was wet, and tears were still pouring from her eyes. Her heart ached as she realized how unlikely it would be to ever see Mousespots again before she died herself. Besides that, Snowdance cursed herself for falling asleep. She promised herself she would stay awake the rest of the night, no matter what.

**A/N: Don't forget to review!**


	8. Chapter Eight

Dawn light made Snowdance look up after a long night. The sun had just risen over the earth and was spraying the camp with a golden tinge. She was aware this was the second time in a moon that she had been awake when the sun rose.

Snowdance looked beside her. Duskblaze had joined her several hours ago, and glanced at her with pity in his eyes. On her other side, Swiftclaw gave a heavy sigh.

Mousespots had been close to many cats - he was a popular choice for deputy when Leafstep had died, but at that point he was too elderly. Still, he was the best warrior he could be, regularly going on patrols twice a day, not to mention hunting alone.

Sitting across from Snowdance was her mother, Ivyfrost. Her eyes were closed but Snowdance could tell she was awake from her irregular breathing, and the way her ear twitched.

A shuffling noise made Snowdance turn her head. She saw Goldwing making her way over to Mousespots' body with Lostear, Swiftclaw's completely deaf brother. He looked confused as to why he had been woken up so early, but Snowdance saw understanding in his eyes as he saw the dead body.

Snowdance quickly buried her head in her father's fur. _I love you, Mousespots, _Snowdance thought before standing up. Duskblaze, Swiftclaw and Ivyfrost copied her a moment after.

Snowdance knew she couldn't bear to watch Mousespots' body being taken, so instead she forced her paws to go to the warriors' den; if she was lucky she would be able to sleep.

…

The day past quickly. Snowdance woke often, but fell back asleep each time. While she was awake, she was dimly aware of the fact that it was quieter than usual, and realized that this was two murders very close together.

It was past sunhigh when Snowdance woke for real. Several warriors were asleep, most likely more cats who had stood vigil for Mousespots. The day was bright, as was usual for that season. The air, once again, was humid, and it was rather stuffy inside the den.

Snowdance sat for a moment before remembering what had happened. Patrol. Battle. Death. It seemed so common and easy in the stories she had been told when she was a kit, no need to cry. But in reality? Death was harsh, especially if you had no reason to talk to StarClan; Snowdance would have to wait until she herself was dead until she could see her father again.

It felt like a long time to the young warrior.

Would she learn to laugh again, without it being so forced it hurt her throat and sounded fake? To make a joke like she used to?

It felt like so long ago. Yet it had only been a day.

Tail dragging on the ground, Snowdance got up and padded outside the den. Her tail made a line in the dust, but Snowdance was uninterested. Instead, she tried to ignore the stare of Duskblaze, who looked like he was about to walk over to her. Snowdance couldn't explain why she didn't want to talk to him.

There was barely anyone else in camp. It was usual, though - this was the time of day when most warriors would be training their apprentices or hunting or patrolling. The scent of Mousespots was stale - Snowdance almost choked when she realized she had been scenting specifically for him. He was dead, Snowdance reminded herself. Soon it would disappear.

Without really thinking, Snowdance walked over to the fresh-kill pile. It was mostly empty, since most everybody was out hunting, except for Nightwing, her kits, and Lostear, the elder. Duskblaze, too, but he seemed to get the message that Snowdance wasn't in the mood to talk.

There were two finches and a mouse. Snowdance didn't feel the need to spend her time plucking feathers, so she grabbed a mouse. It was cold.

Snowdance decided to sit in the hole she had dug earlier. It was cool and out of the way, so no one like Birdpaw or Nightwing's kits would ask her stupid questions; Snowdance remembered asking Goldwing, when her mate had died, "Are you upset?"

Of course she was upset, Snowdance had realized after. Her mate had died! But Snowdance didn't know all of it; back then she had expected she the way you did if your friend abandoned you to go talk to some other apprentice. But now Snowdance was experiencing the same thing…

Well, not exactly. Mousespots was her father, _definitely _not her mate. The thought almost made her laugh nervously, but once again, his death stopped her.

Snowdance chewed on her mouse slowly throughout the next few hours. Patrols started to return, and the fresh-kill pile was now full. By sunset, all of FernClan had returned and were sharing tongues.

Snowdance was glad she had chosen to hide. No one knew where she was, so no mouse-brained, obvious questions or offer her sympathy that she didn't need. Snowdance was supposed to be fun and happy, always.

"Snowdance," Snowdance jumped. Duskblaze had snuck up behind her, and was now sitting next to her, worry in his eyes. Snowdance almost growled; she could take care of herself.

"What?" Snowdance asked, trying to make her voice normal.

"Are you okay?" There it was. The dreaded question.

"Of course," Snowdance replied, avoiding Duskblaze's eyes.

"But…" Duskblaze paused. Snowdance searched his eyes, but only found pity. "Ivyfrost is becoming an elder,"

Snowdance was surprised. Ivyfrost wasn't even that old! Was she? Snowdance thought back to earlier. She supposed Ivyfrost _had _had some gray hairs around her muzzle, and her eyes seemed less bright than usual...

"Okay, then," Snowdance said, not sure how to respond.

Duskblaze stayed by Snowdance, though he didn't say anything more. His gaze was on the place that Hawkstar usually sat to address the Clan. Right Rosecloud, a cream-colored warrior, was chatting with the dark she-cat that was Nightwing. A few moments later, however, they stood up and moved away.

Hawkstar appeared in Snowdance's sight and stood where the she-cats had been before. His head was high and he seemed unfazed by the recent death. Snowdance wanted to ask him why he had no feelings, but decided it would be too rude.

"FernClan, gather," Hawkstar announced loudly. Most of the Clan was already sitting in front of him, but a few scragglers quickly rushed over and sat. Duskblaze stayed with Snowdance.

"Ivyfrost has decided to become an elder," Hawkstar motioned with his tail to Ivyfrost, who was beside him, eyes closed.

It was strange, seeing her mother there. Snowdance knew she wasn't that old, yet she _seemed _like an elder now that she knew Ivyfrost was going to be.

"StarClan thanks her for her service to her Clan, and welcome her to the elders' den," Hawkstar said the words slowly, as they were sacred. Ivyfrost ducked her head.

Snowdance felt a single tear slide down her face. She had no idea why, except that, strangely, it felt like she was losing both parents. Snowdance knew Duskblaze could see her, so she straightened her back. She would get through this.

**A/N: There is no way we're already at chapter eight! There are only twenty-three chapters in this whole fic, including an epilogue.**

** Question: does anybody else hate macaroni and cheese?**

** I'm extremely random.**


	9. Chapter Nine

**A/N: Oh my StarClan, I'm really sorry it's been so long! I really have been busy, I promise! Instead of listing all the excuses, though, I'm just gonna let you read the chapter. Here you go:**

"Aren't you going to finish that mouse?" Redsong asked, sitting beside Snowdance.

The sun was just going down, and several cats were already heading to sleep; not just those who had woken for the dawn patrol, but also cats who were emotionally exhausted by the fact that two warriors had been taken from them in the past days, and that MistClan was obviously disturbing the peace that had evolved in the last moons. The rest of the Clan, including Applepaw and Duskblaze, were eating prey; there was nearly enough for all of them to have a feast, as the apprentices had been assessed - not their warrior assessments, but that would happen soon enough (Applepaw hadn't passed his, mainly for the way he crossed the border).

Snowdance looked down at the half-eaten mouse at her paws. The flesh that showed started to collect dust, as Snowdance had been absentmindedly rolling it around with her paw; it didn't look very appetizing.

"I'm not very hungry," Snowdance replied, telling the truth. She felt too much grief to be hungry - Mousespots' death was still fresh in the young cat's mind, as it had only been a day or two since.

"That makes sense," Redsong replied, pushing away her own thrush with a ginger paw. "Mousespots only died a few days ago."

Snowdance almost growled, but didn't, as she knew that Redsong was right, as well as the fact that she didn't want anyone else to think that something was wrong. "I don't think that's it," Snowdance lied, trying to make her voice as cheerful as before.

"Okay," Redsong looked doubtful as she eyed Snowdance.

"Really," Inside, Snowdance sighed. Keeping this up was tough, as all she really wanted to do was crawl into her nest and sleep, unburdened by loss.

"I have to organize the dawn patrol," Redsong picked up her uneaten thrush as she stood, and Snowdance watched without really seeing as she returned the thrush to the fresh-kill pile and continued on to speak to several cats, recruiting them for the dawn patrol.

Snowdance rested her head on her paws, eyes open, hoping no one would come over to talk to her. It was so much easier to just look happy than projecting laughter and glee into her voice, trying not to let anything else show. For the most part it was going okay; sometimes Snowdance thought she saw Duskblaze or Applepaw shooting her worried glances out of the corner of her eye, but she couldn't be sure. Ivyfrost hadn't been talking to her; it looked like she enjoyed the pampered life of an elder, being taken care of by the apprentices. It wasn't social, as the only other elder was deaf, but Snowdance envied the fact that she got to sleep all day instead of facing the world.

No.

It wasn't just, "The World."

It was a Hard World.

Snowdance was so submerged in this thought, that she didn't hear the footsteps coming up to her. Even when the three cats were right up close, Snowdance stared past them as if she was blind.

"Snowdance?" Smokepoppy spoke.

Snowdance jumped; as said before, she hadn't noticed them. She smiled weakly, and tried to make her eyes seem wide and cheerful, but Snowdance knew that Honeystreak and Duskblaze, accompanying Smokepoppy, were doubtful from the look they shared. Snowdance almost gave up right then and there; it hurt to pretend to be happy, and then it wasn't even working?

"Yes?" Snowdance replied in a cheerful voice, forced from her throat with difficulty.

The gray medicine cat glanced at Duskblaze with a glimpse of surprise in her eyes. Snowdance almost let her smile leave her face, but kept it up, though it hurt - not just the fact that she was smiling when not happy, but that she _had _to smile, to keep up the image that she was always glad and cheerful.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Once again. The dreaded question. It took a moment for Snowdance to answer, making sure that when she spoke it would be with a bit of a laugh, light and airy and very normal.

"Of course," Snowdance gave a laugh, but it sounded bitter and fake.

Smokepoppy made an impatient noise that sounded like a sigh, and turned around suddenly. She padded away, along with Honeystreak and Duskblaze, shooting glances at Snowdance, who finally let her smile go.

Obviously, no one thought she was herself, and that was a problem. Was there something Snowdance could do to make FernClan think nothing was wrong? Then it hit her, the best idea ever. Snowdance straightened her back, thinking out the details as quickly as she could.

It was perfect. Not only would it make Duskblaze believe she was thinking straight and wasn't overcome with grief or anything, although she was, it might actually help Snowdance herself. The white she-cat stood up and practically ran over to Duskblaze and his sister, who were sitting beside the fresh-kill pile.

"I have an idea," Snowdance announced simply, her voice happy without having to force it on.

Duskblaze stared at her, probably thinking she was being… weird? Yeah, that was it.

"Okay," He said slowly, not blinking his amber eyes.. "What is it?"

Snowdance took a deep breath to steady her feelings. "We should…" Snowdance's voice dropped to a whisper, so quiet only Duskblaze and Honeystreak were able to hear. "Find Rowanheart's murderer!"

The reaction was not what Snowdance was expecting. Far from being excited, agreeing what a great idea it was, both cats were staring at her, shock in their eyes.

"Wow." Honeystreak said.

Snowdance felt like dying right there. The looks her friends were giving her… had it really been that bad of an idea? Embarrassment filled her, mingling with the grief and sadness and confusion that was already there. Any spark of cheerfulness was gone, evaporated by that single word.

"I think what she means is…" Duskblaze glanced at Honeystreak before turning back to Snowdance, having trouble coming up with the right words. "Well… whoever killed Rowanheart, I mean, it had to be a pretty strong warrior - right? Flameheart wouldn't exactly have given up without a fight. Even if we did find whoever did it, we would likely be killed ourselves."

Snowdance stared at her paws, realizing Duskblaze was right. She heard pawsteps heading away from her, and allowed a tear to drop from her closed eye.

It was time to give up the charade. No more cheerfulness.

Life was depressing.

**A/N: This story is depressing, too. It's only going to get worse from here. And it won't have a very happy ending. I wouldn't blame you if you stopped reading.**


	10. Chapter Ten

There was no more faking happiness after that; it seemed like most of the Clan was grieving underneath their glee-filled exterior. Snowdance could tell by the way Applepaw's eyes dulled when Rowanheart was brought up, and how the queens scolded their kits far more than usual. There was also… the incident, as Snowdance was calling it in her mind. There was no doubt that Honeystreak believed the idea had been brought on by grief, taking over her mind until the only suitable answer was to kill someone. Duskblaze most likely thought the same thing as well; why wouldn't he?

Basically, if the whole Clan was depressed, why shouldn't Snowdance be? Even Birdpaw, the friendly, somewhat hyper, young she-cat was avoiding cats, and Snowdance had seen her burst into tears at random moments. Birdpaw hadn't even been close to either Rowanheart or Mousespots, so she really had no reason to be so upset. Maybe it was because she was so young?

Snowdance shook her head, clearing her thoughts. The silence of the forest gave her rare peace, though it was tainted by memories of Mousespots. Scents of prey intermingled, giving her confusion as to where any mice or shrews were; lucky for them, but not so much for Snowdance, who had said she was going hunting.

It was just an excuse to get away; the depressing feeling that Snowdance felt in camp was magnified by her own sorrow. Most of the time she could get away with just sitting in this certain place, a rock near the edge of the territory, and catching a mouse or two, which were abundant in this area, before returning to camp.

It was nearly time to get back to camp, Snowdance remarked; no doubt Honeystreak would be on her case if she brought back a single mouse after so long (a couple hours, Snowdance estimated - time went by abnormally fast when it was just her and her thoughts). Redsong usually sent a patrol to this area around this time; more reason to get back.

Snowdance stood up, her legs stiff from sitting for so long. She took a few awkward steps, helping her legs get used to being straight. She slightly opened her mouth, letting scents in. Mouse… thrush… squirrel… _Maybe a chase would do me good,_ Snowdance thought. Hadn't Ivyfrost wished for a squirrel the previous night, as well, when Snowdance had greeted her by the fresh-kill pile? Even if she hadn't, it was one of Birdpaw's favorite things to eat; it might lift her spirits a bit.

The squirrel was close by, and Snowdance quickly spotted the gray creature, nibbling at a nut on the ground, a few fox-lengths away. The area was clear, no twigs or dry leaves, so Snowdance dropped into a crouch and carefully moved forward. It wasn't until Snowdance was about to pounce that she realized she had made an obvious mistake, probably because of her sleep-deprivation (you try sleeping after your father just died). The wind was blowing her scent towards the squirrel.

As if on cue, the squirrel looked up. If Snowdance had pounced right then, she may have caught it, possibly with a bit of difficulty, but no. Instead the white she-cat froze, for no reason. Well, maybe it was the fact that it was quivering, and Snowdance wasn't even sure if it would try to run.

But, as prey often did, the squirrel dropped the nut and started to bound away, as fast as a squirrel could go. With no hesitation, Snowdance went after it, paws skimming the undergrowth as she sped through the trees. In no time at all it seemed, Snowdance had practically crossed the whole territory. Her legs were getting sore, and deep in her mind she knew it was incredibly silly chasing prey like this, but focusing on the chase gave her no need to think about… other things.

Suddenly, Snowdance became aware that she could scent MistClan. Remembering the unfortunate accident with Applepaw, Snowdance slowed and let the squirrel get away. Not making the rival Clan angry was more important than prey, right? Especially as they may have killed two of FernClan's warriors, but Snowdance didn't have time to dwell on that.

Something was wrong.

Something about this place was familiar. The trees were seemingly everywhere; they cast shade onto the ground, and long, tall ferns were showered on the ground…

Suddenly it hit Snowdance. This wasn't anywhere near MistClan territory. A need to run hit Snowdance; what if MistClan was waiting to ambush her? The scent was too overwhelming to know what was where.

Her legs started to move without her working them; it was instinct to go back.

After all… MistClan was invading.

**A/N: This chapter is incredibly short. It was hard writing a 786 word chapter on chasing a squirrel, though. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon.**


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